Earth-boring tool



Aug. 30,1927. 10,587 T. C. WHISLER EARTH BORING TOOL Filed May 28, 1925. 4

7: .c. WH/SLER ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 30, 1927.

{ THOMAS o. wnIsLna, or nnnonno Bnaon, ennmoama.

EARTH-BORING 'rooL.

Application filed May 28,

. My invention relates to earth boring tools, and more particularly to a combination tool in which it is possible to bore a hole in an earth stratum by means of one member as sociated with said tool, and ream out or cave in,the remaining portion of said hole by means of other members associated with said tool.

I It is therefore an object ofmy invention to provide a novel form of earth boring tool in which a body member is adapted to be detachably' assotiated with the drill pipe or tubing of an oilor other well, which body member has associated therewith side members positioned in spaced relation with said- .ody member, there being rotary cutting elements positioned in said spaces said cutting tice soon lose their circular shape,

elements being also mounted in offset rela tion, and adapted to be rotated not only on their own axes, but also with respect to the axis of the body member, an additional guide or cutting element in the shape of a fish tail bit, core extractor, or other cutting or uiding elements, being vdetachably positloned between said first named cutting elements.

The earth boring tools heretofore proposed, especially those of the disc bit type, have iven considerable trouble'in practice, said iscs being-equipped with but single shear pins. Moreover, saiddiscs in pracflattened, and hence in a short time become ineffective to do the work required.

It may also be stated, that in the disc bits of the known type, no provision is made for cutting away the earth formation between said discs. In hard earth formations especially, 'the earth sections between the discs build up rapidly, and said earth'mu'st therefore either be washed away by the circulatin fluid, or broken down by the weight of the rill pipe before the cutting edgesof the discs can again come in contact with the bottom of the hole. By the use of my invention all these objectionable features are ontirelyeliminated. j I It is also an object of my invention to provide a novel form of device which is simple in character, easy and inexpensive to construct, durable, not easy to get out of order, and which will thoroughly and reliably ef-v fect the objects intended.

Further objects and advantages of my 1nvention will become more apparent as the description thereof roceeds.

Reference is ha to accgmpanymg becoming" 1925. Serial No. 33,363.

my invention to an earth stratum, r Fig. 2 is a part bottom plan and part cross sectional view of my invention taken on the line 22, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows,

ventional form of fish tail bitadapted tobe u ed with my invention, and

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of a core ex tractor which isadapted to be used alternatively with my invention.

Describing my invention more in detail, it is my purpose to provide a novel form of tool inwhich it is possible 'to cut away the inner section of an earth stratum built up when, for example aset of disc bits are employed, said inner earth section being cut away in advance of said discs. This feature of my invention has a two-fold purpose: first, it prevents an accumulation of earth between the discs; secondly it also undermines and caves in that portion of the formation left to be cutaway by the discs. Moreover, the entire tool assembly, including the cutting elements and drill pipe is properly guided within the hole cut and tends to prevent any wabbling of said assembly, and consequently insures that a better and straighter hole is cut.

As shown in the drawings, the body member B is e nipped with a screw-threaded portion 1, a detachably associated with the drillpipe or tubing of an oil or other well, said body member being bored as indicated by the numeral' 11 to permit the passage of the circulating fluid. I I

The body member B is equipped with a pair of wing side members 2, preferably, though not necessarily, away portions of the body member B, as

' shown,,thou'gh said members may be assoform a pa r of cylindrical oiiset portions formed by cutting 4 and 5, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2, the shape of said offset portions, as well as the material out of which they. are constructed, being any preferred. Securely connecting the extension 3 and the side members 2, is a pin p, of any preferred jshape,

one end 6 being square, hexagonal, or'any other desired shape, and the portion 7, preferably, though not necessarily, cylindrical in form.

Attention is directed to the fact that the pins p are preferably not threaded, but are held in place by thecollar of the fish tail bit F, shown. more particularly in Fig. 4., or the core extractor .C. shown in Fig. 5, or any plug, guide, or guiding member that may be used instead. As willbe manifest, said pins are held in double shear, providing an extremely rigid construction, and thus effectually obviating the single shear feature which has caused so much trouble in the disc bits heretofore proposed.

Securely mounted on the pins p are flanged bushings 8, shapedinternally to conform to the configuration of the end v6 of said pins. On said bushings the cutting ele- "ieanents or discs 9 are mounted, said discs be- "ing positioned within the spaces 10, and are of course in. offset relation, as distinctly shown in Fig. 2. The fish tail bit F, or the core extractor C, or whatever other cutting tool or guide may be used in lieu thereof, is screwed into the extension 3, as shown.

When the body member B is rotated in a clockwise direction, the cutting elements 9 will cut away the earth stratum, but will leave a central or intermediate earth section, which section continually accumulates be tween said cutting elements, and must in some way be removed, either by means of .a circulating fluid, introduced into the hollow portion 11 of the body member B, or broken down by the weight of 'the drill pipe before the cutting edges of the elements 9 again come in contact with the bottom of the hole.

This section of the earth building up between the elements 9 also tends to prevent said elements from rotating on their own axes, resulting, as hereinbefore stated, in causing said elements soon to become flattened, and accordingly ineffective to do their work.

To obviate these objectionable features, an intermediate guiding or cut-ting device must be introduced between the elements 9, or a set of such elements may be used. As hereinbefore explained, said additional device or devices, out or bore a hole in the earth stratum in advance of the elements 9, and consequently'said elements 9 function merely -to ream out said hole and cause the earth bored by said device to cave'in.

When a core extractor is used with my novel form of device, said extractor not only functions to take the core but reams the hole .and the side of the hole cut.

as well, thereby reducing the time of taking a core to a marked extent, since in most of the ordinary processes of extracting cores from an earth formation it is necessary to make an extra trip'into the. hole with the reamer, and numerous sections of drill pipe,

to ream that portion not taken'out by the core extractor.

In operation, as the body member B is rotated ina clockwise direction, the cutting elements 9, being offset, give a'clearance between the following edge of said elements, It will thus be clear that the leading edge of each cutting element cuts at a longer radius than the distance between the following-edge of said cutting elements and the common axis thereof.

It will of course be understood that I do i not desire to be limited in practice to the particular type of cutting elements used, nor

to their number, so long as one or more of said cutting elements be positioned on sai tool in advanceof the others.

. While I have thus described my invention with great particularity, it will be obvious that the same may be modified throughout a wide range. I therefore do not propose to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described but reserve the right in practice to make any and' all modifications thereof that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

V I claim as my invention:

1. In an earth boring tool, in combination, a body member, means on said body member for securing the same to a drill tubing, said body member being provided with a pair of vertical cut away portions, a horizontal pin detachably mounted in each side of said body member insertable from within said body member and extending across each of said vertical cut away portions, a rotary cutting element positioned in each of said cut away portions, and adapted to be rotated on said pins, said cutting elements being positioned in ofi'set relation, and an additional cutting device positioned on said body member in advance of said cutting elements and directly holding said pins in position.

2. In an earth boring tool, in combination,

.a body member adapted to be detachably associated. with the drill tubing of an oil orother well, wing side members associated with saidvbody member, said side members being spaced from said body member, said body member being equlpped with a hollowed out portion, a pin detachably mounted in each of said side members and insertable therein from within said body member, a flanged bushing positioned in eachof said spaces, and mounted on each of said pins, a

rotary cutting element mounted on said bushings, said cutting elements being posit o ed n f et r n n an additional cutting device: detachably associated with said body member. said additional cutting device directly holding said pins in position. 3. In an earth boring tool, in combination,

a hollowed out and internally screw-threaded body member, a pair of side members positioned in spaced relation with said body member, a fixcd element connecting each of said side members to said body member, a-

cutting element on each of said fixed elements, and adapted for rotation thereon, and

, an additional cutting device screw-threaded.

ting tool a pair of side members positioned in spaced relation with said body member,

a pair of cylindrical members extending across the entire lengthof each side of said-- body member and in offset relation with each other, a pin insertable from within said body member and adapted to extend through openings in said body member and said side members, a rotary cuttingeleinent' positioned on' each of saidpins, and adapted to engage I I with a planed surface on each of said cylindrical memberswhereby the shearing'stresses I'lbe balanced, and an addi? on said pins v tional cutting device screw threaded to said hollowed out body member to holdsaid pins v 4 i in position. g i

5. An earth boring tool comprising in.

combination a hollowed out and internally threaded body member, a pair of pins insertable from within said body member and extending externally through spaces in said body member, means on said pins-for ,pre-. venting the rotationthereof, cutting memelements being positionedin off set relation, an additional cutting tool detachably associated with saidinternal threaded body -member, and means on said last named tool for directly holding said pins in position so that they may not be removed while said tool is being operated.

In testimony whereof have signed myname to this specification.

THOMAS .C.. WHISLER.

be rs positioned on each of said pins and adapted to be rotated thereon, said cutting. 

